Things to bring to Beijing (clothes etc.)

[p0mmes_frites]

Hello everybody, I am coming to Beijing at the end of August, and I am pretty confused about what to package in my luggage. What shall I bring with me (especially clothes) and what shall I buy there? I don't want to fill up all my luggage so that I can bring back the things that I buy (as a memory of the coming good days ) Here is the things that I think vital to bring with me:

a pair of boats

jeans

3-4 sweaters and jumpers for the cold days

a coat

a pair of sport shoes

do you think I can find good and cheap clothes there? Or should I bring more? (I will stay in Beijing for a year in Haidian district) :rolleyes:

What would you bring with you if you were to stay for a year?

[Xauner]

I'm in the same situation, totally confused regarding what to bring and what to buy there but I'm sure it will all work out...I hope.

[Jane_PA]

Any brand or international brand clothes or shoes in Beijing are more expensive than in the U.S. (Also one exampe like clinique moisturizer, which is double priced in China for the same product, if you are a girl.)

Sure, you can find cheap clothes in some big in-door market. But you need to learn negociation and also it is good to bring a Chinese friend with you, because usually sellers will charge higher if they see you are a foreigner.

Winter in Beijing is kind of cold, like -10 C. Please get familiar with C and 0 is the freezing degree. But it might feel colder than the same degree in the U.S. because some public bus has no heater and many indoor public area's heating is not as hot as in the U.S.

One of my American born Chinese friends told me that after he lived in Beijing for a while, he brough a lot of spaghetti and cereals with him at second trip from the U.S. to Beijing. It is because although there are many nice campus food cheap, like RMB 5 lunch, he likes spaghetti, which is not easy to find around campus. In my memory, there are not many spaghetti or cereals choices in Beijing's supermarkets, even in Walmart. Some fancy western restaurants do serve that, but expensive. But since I am a Chinese and my home is in Beijing, usually, I don't care about western restaurant food in Beijing.

Also, in China, campus food is supposed to be cheaper than outside of the campus because they are supposed to be lower taxed.

[skylee]

he likes spaghetti, which is not easy to find around campus. In my memory, there are not many spaghetti or cereals choices in Beijing's supermarkets, even in Walmart. Some fancy western restaurants do serve that, but expensive.

I didn't know this. Sounds like useful information, as I like pasta a lot (not that I can really cook, or will stay in Beijing).

[valikor]

Bring your computer and camera (quality electronics are not cheap in China). Bring some peptol-bismol etc. Some people recommend getting your computer set up with a VPN before you leave so that you can get to whatever websites you want.

You can buy almost anything in Beijing.

[p0mmes_frites]

Thanks for all the useful information. I will bring my electronics and medicines with me, especially for stomach relief and allergy. I also heard it is useful to bring moisturizer for females, so I will do that.

I think it is not useful for me to compare the prices between the US and China because I am from Turkey :rolleyes: I have been to Shanghai before but only for a month, so I didn't need to look specifically for clothing that time. Thanks again for the replies and any further idea will be appreciated ;)

[Jane_PA]

Oops, you are from Turky... So, Chinese will be your third language? I have been to Istanbul, which is such a beautiful place! I wish I can visit her again!

[p0mmes_frites]

Yes, Chinese is my third language. Maybe we can meet in Beijing and then in Istanbul if you want to visit it again :rolleyes:

[MGMT]

I'll be showing my gender here, but are cosmetics really that much more expensive in Beijing than in Europe? Guess I should stock up, then...

p0mmes_frites, where are you from in Turkey, if you don't mind me asking? I've been there several times, I love this country.

[p0mmes_frites]

My hometown is Izmir, but I have studied in Istanbul for 4 years and just returned from there after my graduation. Now I will be in Izmir till I come to beautiful Beijing

[Ariane]

Bring basic medications.

Aspirin, tylenol, something to settle your stomach, something for colds

Deodorant, other personal hygiene items. I personally bring soap/moisturizer from home, as that way I don't have to deal with the hassle of spending 15 minutes to find something that is non-bleaching. I am like a ghost already, my skin doesn't need to be any whiter.

[Meng Lelan]

You have to bring cold medications. Beijing being what it is, everyone has a cold every three days or something like that.

[greenarcher]

Electronics is cheap in Beijing, very close to US prices.

[Jane_PA]

I just returned from Beijing in the middle of July. I may go back next summer too. Usually I go home every summer. Sure, let's keep contact and I need to tour more in Turkey.

Wow, you are so great in language learning...

hehe, true, east Asians, not only Chinese are so prefer a whiter skin...

[valikor]

Electronics is cheap in Beijing, very close to US prices.

Why would US prices be considered cheap? Just about everything in China is cheaper than American/European prices, though I think electronics is an exception.

Unless you want to buy a 10 RMB iPod charger like I did, which broke after 1 month. Bad-quality knock-off products will are cheap...

[greenarcher]

Because US prices are 1 of the cheapest in the world for electronics. Sometimes even cheaper than Japan.

I'm talking about real electronics goods like laptops and digital cameras.

[Jane_PA]

I agree that laptops or digital cameras or memory disk for the cameras are less expensive in the U.S. than in China. I don't know other things.

[m000gle]

I'm still compiling a list, of things I'll be bringing with me to Beijing when the big move happens this fall... and I'll be sure to post it here, for appraisal, once its complete

However, to take a bit of a different slant, are there any common items you would recommend not bringing with you when moving to China/Beijing?

I'm thinking mainly along two lines: items which are usually either cheaper in China or not worth the effort of transporting thousands of kilometres (e.g. a desktop computer); and items which, although used day-to-day, have occasionally caused trouble at customs (e.g. certain historical or tourist guide books) or even things where there are unexpected restrictions/duties.

[gougou]

items which, although used day-to-day, have occasionally caused trouble at customs

I wouldn't worry about that. I can't count the number of times I've crossed that border, and I've yet to be checked at customs a single time.

[ksl0588]

a friend told me not to buy any type of electronic(s) in China because all of them easily break, is this true? he said that you could buy electronics such as laptops, cellular phones, etc and all of them would eventually break after a few days/weeks. he even bought a weighing scale before and when he got home it broke. then when he returned the weighing scale to ask for a replacement, all the replacements are malfunctioning as well. however, all of these experiences were in Shanghai, is it true for Beijing as well?